AAPA member airlines brace for difficult year
KUALA LUMPUR – The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) has released preliminary traffic figures for the full year 2008.
AAPA member airlines carried 141.5 million international passengers in 2008, 1.8 percent fewer than the record levels achieved in 2007.
Passenger traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) terms was down by one percent.
Capacity growth for the year was 1.7 percent, whilst the average passenger load factor fell two percentage points to 75.1 percent.
Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general said, “In what proved to be a particularly challenging year, airlines were battered by skyrocketing oil prices followed by rapidly weakening demand as the effects of the global economic downturn ricocheted around the world.
“AAPA passenger traffic held up reasonably well for the first nine months of the year, before growth tapered off.
“For the fourth quarter of 2008, AAPA international passenger numbers were seven percent down on the previous year.â€
Herdman said the situation in the air cargo market was even more dire, “as demand for air cargo collapsed in the second half of the yearâ€.
He added, “With no sign of any respite amidst the global economic downturn, Asia Pacific airlines are braced for another extremely difficult year ahead.â€
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026